The betrayal of the beloved: A story of a 'driver’s mate' and his 'master'

The betrayal that hurts the most truly comes from a beloved. Betrayal by a loved one can be one of the most painful experiences a person can endure. Whether it's a friend, family member, romantic partner, or someone you picked from nowhere and made somebody, betrayal cuts deep because it violates trust and undermines the foundation of the relationship.

This is a story of a relationship that started in 2008 and painfully ended in betrayal in 2024.

On Thursday, 14th of August, 2008 which happened to be my birthday by the way, the then Candidate Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo-Addo took a decision that defied all odds to select Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as his running mate for the 2008 General Elections.

This decision was opposed by most top-notch members of the party with the explanation that, he (Bawumia) was not known in the party and that he was not a card-bearing member of the NPP. In short, he was nowhere near qualifying for such a vital position.

But Nana Addo insisted it was either Bawumia or no one else and presented his name to NEC on this very day. NEC had no choice but to endorse his choice. On Saturday, the 16th, Dr Bawumia was presented to the rank and file of the party at their Annual Delegate’s Conference which took place in Sekondi. The following day, Sunday 17th, he was out-doored to the entire nation as the running mate to candidate Nana Addo.

Nana Addo ensured he gave Dr Bawumia the exposure he needed and made him the most vociferous and visible running-mate in the history of the 4th Republic. All campaign messages and strategies for 2008, 2012,2016 and even the 2020 Elections were structured around Dr Bawumia.

Even though they lost the 2008 General Election and most members of the party laid the blame on Dr Bawumia for his inexperience in politics since this was a new field to him and he had never been involved in anything politics until then.

Nana Addo still stood his ground and reintroduced him in 2012 for a second term as a running-mate. That election was lost again but by this time, Dr Bawumia was improving in politics although he had rather decided to lie his way to power. Then came the 2016 Election and Nana Addo still retained him and they won this election.

During their governance from 2017 to 2020, President Nana Addo gave Dr Bawumia all the opportunities to run the economy of the country since he indicated from the onset that, he specifically chose Economist Dr Bawumia to use his brain to manage the economy of the country.

On countless occasions, President Nana Addo showered him with compliments and presented him as a genius who had no match in this country. However, the Economic Wizard destroyed all Micro and Macro Economic Indicators of the country.

Despite all these, Nana Addo again for the fourth time, chose Bawumia as his running-mate for the 2020 General Elections which they questionably won. This time, the economic indicators of the country got even worse. The exchange rate of the cedi to the dollar moved from 3.9 in 2016 to 11.9 on average in 2023.

Inflation from 17.5% in 2016 to 42.19% in 2023. Government gross debt from GHC122.6 billion in 2016 to GHC569.35 billion in 2023. I can go on and on but time and space won’t allow it.

In short, Nana Addo positioned Bawumia strategically to take over from him after he was done with his tenure.

Then came the 2023 Presidential Primaries, right from the Super-Delegates to the main election, Nana Addo whipped all appointees in line and used government machinery to ensure Dr. Bawumia emerged as the Presidential Candidate and Flag-bearer of the NPP party for the 2024 General Elections.

It is an understatement to say, that Nana Addo was very loyal to his quest of making Bawumia who he is today.

Barely 3 months after Dr Bawumia became the Presidential Candidate, came the betrayal of “casting a vote of no confidence” in the governance and leadership of the man who stood by him and made him who he is.

Candidate Bawumia held a public lecture on the 7th of February, 2023 on his “Bold Solution for the Future” at UPSA. He couldn’t choose any other month to betray Nana Addo but the month of love.

During this lecture, he approbated almost everything good about the government but blamed Nana Addo for everything bad, which in my view was very disingenuous.
He went against almost everything the Nana Addo government stood for, in the name of being “his own man”. He promised to scrap taxes and he played an instrumental role in their imposition. Notably, the E-Levy, Betting Levy, and 15% VAT on Electricity.

In the 64th paragraph of his speech, he sought to paint the picture that, as the Chairman of the Economic Management Team, the main reason why Nana Addo picked him to be his running-mate, his role was only advisory.

This committee was made up of 11 members in the first term and 7 members in the second term. About 90% of members of the EMT were members of the cabinet. It then begs the question; how does a team proffer a solution and then overturn it (if any) when they are seated as cabinet?

The more you try to understand this, the more confused you get. If his statement is anything to go by; he gave good advice as to how to grow the economy, but stubborn Nana Addo refused to listen to him, the reason why the country is in a mess. Must you do your “Master” this dirty?

In the 108th paragraph of his speech, he indicated “As Vice-President I am like a driver’s mate. But if, by the grace of God, you make me President, I will be in the driver’s seat with constitutionally mandated authority to pursue my vision and my priorities……” What a preposterous statement!

I have read a lot of views from people about the relationship between a Driver and the Driver’s mate. Justice Srem-Sai even indicated that, per the constitution of Ghana, the Vice-president is not a mate but rather a second driver.

But granted that Bawumia is a mate; a driver tells a mate that, we are loading from Kejetia to Buohu/Afrancho, and the mate invites passengers headed in that direction. When the driver took off, he headed for Ejisu, the mate couldn’t tell him “Master we are headed in the wrong direction” but rather defended the driver with all his strength.

So, after they arrived in Ejisu, the driver again informed the mate that, we were proceeding to Juaben and as usual, the mate invited passengers. The driver once again headed in the wrong direction to Mamponteng in Kwabre East. The mate still stood his ground and defended the driver and nearly engaged in a fight with passengers for complaining.

Suddenly, when they reached Old Tafo, the agitations grew even bigger and louder, the mate then asked the passengers to be patient and that, when they reached Mamponteng, he would take over the driving wheel and take them to the right destination. He then adds that he is only the Driver’s mate and didn’t have any decision-making role but rather advisory.

And that the driver is to be blamed for everything. Do you sincerely think this mate could absolve himself of any blame? And do you think he would indeed take them to the right destination if they trusted him with the driving wheel? I guess you know the answer.

This is exactly what transpired between Nana Addo and Bawumia. He joined the man as his “mate” from 2008 till 2016 when they won power. He stayed with him and even defended the mess of the administration from 2017 to 2020. Continued to stay with him from 2021 till 2023 when he got elected as Presidential Candidate, still defending the mess of the government.

Now that he is the Presidential Candidate, he is claiming innocence and distancing himself from everything. You cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time. That’s hypocrisy.

But the true import of this story is the ingratitude of the “driver’s mate. Repayment of a very loyal master with betrayal by his “mate” whom he trusted and loved so much and sacrificed almost everything for.

As the dust settles on the shattered remains of what was once a loyal partnership, the bitter taste of betrayal lingers in the air, staining the memory of a relationship that spanned over a decade. The story of the "driver's mate" and his "master" serves as a stark reminder of the depths to which human betrayal can plunge, leaving behind a trail of broken promises and shattered trust.

In a twist of fate that no one could have predicted, the bond forged between Nana Addo and Bawumia crumbles under the weight of political ambition and personal agendas. Despite years of unwavering support and loyalty, Bawumia's actions speak volumes, as he stands before the nation, casting blame and deflecting responsibility with each carefully chosen word.

The once inseparable duo, who weathered the storms of political defeat and celebrated the highs of victory together, now find themselves on opposite ends of a bitter divide. Nana Addo, betrayed by the very man he lifted from obscurity and placed on a pedestal of power, is left to grapple with the harsh reality of betrayal by one he considered a trusted confidant.

As the curtains draw to a close on this tragic tale, there are no winners, only scars left to heal and lessons learned in the harshest of ways. The betrayal of the beloved serves as a sobering reminder that trust, once broken, may never be fully restored, and the wounds inflicted by those closest to us cut the deepest of all.